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Sports

Tourney hopes rest on Houston's shoulders

Men's Hoops

Chris Elliott 

If it comes down to strength of schedule Houston should have nothing to worry about. Houston, depending on how the marbles drop in the Rainbow Classic Tournament in Hawaii, could potentially face four Associated Press Top 25 teams.

If they manage to pick up wins against No. 10 Arizona (Dec. 17), No. 19 Creighton (Dec. 22) and No. 22 Kentucky (Jan. 2) and enter their Jan. 11 prime-time match-up against No. 14 Memphis with at least six wins, the Cougars will have successfully completed one of the most grueling non-conference schedules in America.

Following their Nov. 13, season opening game against Rhode Island, the Cougars will host a hungry Monmouth team that represented the Northeast Conference in the NCAA Tournament. The Monmouth Hawks were knocked out of the first round by one of last year's premiere shooting teams against the Villanova Wildcats, but they will welcome back five seniors from that squad, including 7-2 big man John Bunch.

Following their home opener against Monmouth the Cougars will face former Conference USA opponents Charlotte and Saint Louis, who've both put up winning and respectable records since their departure. 

And as a warm-up before the big one at Kentucky, the UNLV running rebels, who upset Houston in Las Vegas last season, will play in a grudge match against Houston in a game that will feature more fast breaks than an ill-fortuned convenience store.

These all translate into something very simple. If the Cougars win the games that count and end the season with at least 23 wins, they will make the tournament. It will be a given. Their Rating Percentage Index should be among the nations best. 

But the same could have been said about last season's team. They had the perfect schedule too, and after their rift-breaking wins over ranked opponents Louisiana State and Arizona the Cougars seemed to be in perfect position to keep its status as one of the nations elite and hold its position in the AP top 25. 

Then they lost. They didn't just lose, they lost games against teams that the NCAA Tournament Committee viewed as easy wins — not a good idea.

Houston was relieved of its elite status within a week and would never reclaim it. 

The ultimate slap in the face came after their loss to Memphis in the C-USA tournament when they were denied access into the Big Dance. 

Some would argue, including me, if teams such as Air Force and Alabama were able to make the tournament, then Houston should have been a sure-fire to get in. 

Air Force went out and played the softest schedule in the country, racked up 24 wins, and got in based on some kind of win quota, while Alabama got in for being in the SEC. But, if the Cougars would have handled business against UNLV, Rice, UCF and South Alabama then it would not have been a bubble team whose fate rested in the hands of the committee.

The 2006-2007 Cougars will face that same predicament. They cannot overlook any team on their schedule if they want to break that decade and a half drought of missing the NCAA tournament.

Sure it would be great to take out the powerhouses such as Kentucky, Arizona and Memphis to make the national headlines, but if you lose to the Prairie View A&Ms, Grambling States and Central Floridas on the schedule, that negates any and every thing that you had going for you in the long run.

Potential would be the perfect word to describe the Cougars right now. This squad is undoubtedly one of the most athletic teams in the country. They will be one of those teams that can play above the rim and run opponents out of the gym with their up-tempo play.

If the same style of smothering defense is there on the first game of the season, Houston will crack the AP Top 25 in a matter of weeks. But it doesn't matter where this team peaks during the season. In fact, after March the rankings are obsolete. If Houston doesn't show consistency in its performance and ability to win the big and small schools they won't have anyone to blame but themselves for their tourney absence.

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